Research Introduction

I've got some new terminology. The beginning of your introduction is usually called the hook; lately, I've called it a lead; but now I like to call it a connect. Write something that introduces the "idea" of your research and gives your reader some kind of connection to it. Don't be too specific.

The bridge or transition I now call background. The next part is all three of these things: give a bit of background that will move the reader closer to your thesis/ claim.

The thesis/ claim will always be that.

Here's my Louis Braille example:

The ability to read is fundamental to all learning, but imagine if you were blind and couldn't read. You would only be able to learn what someone was willing to teach you. In an example of turning lemons into lemonade, Louis Braille, who was blinded in 1824 when he was three years old, took that hardship and a pre-existing "raised dot" method of text and created what is now known as the Braille System. Louis Braille's improvement on the raised dot reading method used by the military has allowed blind people to enjoy reading, improve their literacy, and help them learn and communicate like a sighted person.

Later, I decided to rewrite my thesis:

Louis Braille improved the lives of visually impaired people by improving on the raised dot reading method used by the military. His new, easier to use method, allowed blind people to enjoy reading more, improve their literacy, and helped them learn and communicate like a sighted person.

Here's a good student example:

A person faces many obstacles and challenges daily. Oftentimes one small moment in someone’s life, a decision, or action can have a big impact not only on their own lives but on the lives of others for years to come. This was the case with Ferruccio Lamborghini who was turned down after trying to make improvements on Ferraris. “Finally, I'd had enough. I slammed the door and vowed I would build my own car. The way I wanted it,”(Lamborghini). In that small moment, his ambition of making cars took over, leading him to produce what is now one of the most luxurious and successful automobile companies in the world.

Here are some student examples for Encounters 8:

1. The sea kingdom is a ginormous world to still be discovered. Even though we do not know about more animals in the ocean, the ones that we do know about are being harmed. In the huge range of animals, the Hawksbill Sea Turtle is included. The number of these sea turtles has decreased tremendously and they are at risk of extinction because of people wanting their precious shells. Efforts should be made to save the Hawksbill Sea Turtle from extinction because they maintain productive coral reef ecosystems and provide nutrients from the ocean to beaches which include coastal dunes.

2. China is home to many people, plants, and animals, including the Red Panda. The Red Panda is a small mammal that lives in a bamboo forest, but deforestation and pollution are causing the Red Pandas to lose their habitats. If the Red Panda goes extinct, the bamboo they eat will grow out of control causing forcing out other plants. The predators, which hunted the red Panda, will have less food and may become endangered themselves. It is important then that we work to save the Red Panda to prevent harm to the ecosystem.

3. The Northwest African Cheetah is one of the fastest land animals in the world. The Cheetah can go up to speeds of 120 kilometers per hour or 75 miles per hour, but sadly the Cheetah is critically endangered. The Northwest African Cheetah needs to get saved because the Cheetah is a carnivore and hunts the herbivores. If the Cheetah were to go extinct, there would be too many herbivores eating the vegetation which would lead to soil erosion, excessive water run off, and the loss of numerous plants.

There are a LOT more examples of introductions

at the bottom of the Encounters 7 and 8 pages.

Mr. Skipper dot Com

Writing Your Introduction

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Take a look at this website.